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FIFA Referee Ekaterina Koroleva (USA) will attend the Seminar from February 12 to 16 as one of 35 female candidate referees for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. Seminar attendees will take part in practical on-field sessions, theoretical sessions which include topical discussions and video tests, as well as medical evaluations and fitness testing.

Koroleva is one of six CONCACAF referees selected for the pre-Women’s World Cup seminar alongside representatives from Costa Rica, Canada, Honduras and Mexico. A few weeks later, Koroleva will head to Portugal to lead a U.S. group of referees at the prestigious Algarve Cup from February 28 to March 7. Assistant referees Felisha Mariscal and Deleana Quan will serve on her crew at the tournament.

FIFA Referees Committee recently approved the composition of the FIFA Lists for next year, with changes becoming effective on 1 January 2018. National federations have been informed and some of them published their new lists.

According to an article posted on the official USSF website, FIFA will select 85 referees, assistant referees and video assistant referees for the 64 matches of the World Cup 2018 in Russia.

36 referees attended a FIFA preparatory seminar in Abu Dhabi (UAE), from 25-29 November 2017. They participated in a series of activities that included practical, theoretical and physical elements, including training sessions with local players.

Twelve kilometres might not sound like a long distance, but it is far enough to lose yourself in your thoughts when you are cycling to your first match as a referee, as Bjorn Kuipers once did. The miles slipped past all too quickly that day as he steered around one corner after another. “I was incredibly nervous,” the Dutchman recalled. The year was 1989, and Kuipers was just 16 years old. A few months earlier, his father encouraged him to attend a refereeing course after watching him on the pitch as a player. “I made life so difficult for the official,” Kuipers explained. “To be honest, I was such a disaster that my Dad thought I might like to give the role a go myself.” Fast forward 28 years, and the impertinent footballer has become an experienced and level-headed FIFA referee who relies on both his own judgement and that of his team-mates. “If you don’t believe in yourself and build confidence in your abilities, you’ll never succeed”, he said.

Kuipers was chosen to oversee the Champions League Final in 2014 and the Confederations Cup Final in 2013. The sight and sound of 82,000 home fans celebrating A Seleção’s victory in Rio de Janeiro was a very special moment. “That win gave the country a boost a year before the World Cup,” the Dutchman said. “I could feel the power of it on the pitch, everywhere. It gave me goosebumps.” Kuipers’ emotions were stirred again a year later when the list of the 25 FIFA World Cup referees was announced and he knew he would be returning to Brazil. “I can still remember the exact moment that I found out about my nomination,” he recalled. “It was a morning in January 2014, and the time on the clock was exactly 8.22am” The supermarket owner had already been sitting in front of his laptop in his office in Oldenzaal excitedly checking his emails for an hour at this point before the happy news reached his inbox. It was a dream come true – and recognition for a job well done. Anyone wanting to become a good referee needs to master the Laws of the Game. They must be willing to learn, able to make decisions and capable of communicating them. For Kuipers, however, mental strength and the ability to learn from mistakes are also vital. “If you’ve given a penalty incorrectly, you have to be able to work through that,” he explained. “If it’s still in the back of your mind during the next match, you’ll make more mistakes – because the fear of making the wrong decision will hold you back.” He also believes it is important to show character on the pitch without getting involved, “otherwise you have already lost”. While Bjorn Kuipers no longer feels the same flurry of nerves before a match that he did as a 16-year-old, he still likes spending time out on his bike. It was clear at the FIFA refereeing course in Abu Dhabi that he has also lost none of his teenage ambition and thirst for knowledge. “I always look forward to taking part in the preparatory seminars,” he said. “We referees are one big family, and that means we get the opportunity to learn and develop a shared identity.” As every session is different, Kuipers prefers not to compare or rank the many courses he has already completed. “I prefer to keep looking ahead,” he said enthusiastically, before heading off for another intensive training day with his colleagues.

During his career, Pierluigi Collina officiated so diligently and competently that he was voted the world's best referee for six consecutive years between 1998 and 2003. The Italian redefined the role and became the first star referee. Collina set great store by working hard and meticulously preparing himself for games. He left nothing to chance, preferring instead to be equipped for every eventuality he might face during a match. He still exudes that same professionalism, albeit now from the sidelines rather than on the pitch. At the FIFA Referee Seminar in Abu Dhabi, the football fans that congregate around the pitches at the training complex may be focused on Collina, but his attention is fixed on observing 36 of the world's best referees, who have travelled to the United Arab Emirates in order to train for forthcoming events.

Collina has been Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee since the beginning of this year and is appreciative of his new role: "It's a great privilege to be able to work in this position." While he patrols the touchline in Abu Dhabi, observing how the referees perform in diverse match situations, his commitment and dedication is palpable. Just as Collina was determined to do his absolute best while he was a referee, he is now driven to bring out the best in the next generation of officials. "Our aim is to prepare the referees for the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup," he said. "Together with Massimo Busacca and the other instructors we strive to get them in top shape so that they can perform to the best of their abilities there." Collina communicates with his charges in a calm and considerate manner, offering them words of advice. Their body language is analysed and their positioning on the pitch is discussed. "FIFA competitions attract a lot of attention and that creates a lot of pressure," Collina explained. It is therefore all the more important to accompany the referees in the best way possible. The first referees' seminars with a view to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia were held two years ago. The number of participants has continuously declined since then, and the final list of officials to participate at Russia 2018 is scheduled to be announced early next year. While being at a World Cup is the objective of every FIFA referee, officiating the Final is the ultimate dream. Collina achieved that at Korea/Japan 2002 when he took charge of the title-decider between Germany and Brazil. "But you can't compare refereeing today with what it used to be like," he said. At that tournament, Collina and his team studied videos of the teams and their characteristics in their hotel room in Yokohama, whereas nowadays referees are offered support during their match preparation. "We've had licenced coaches as part of our team since the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, working with us and giving the referees information on the teams, their tactics and their players. The feedback from the referees has been extremely positive." Given such developments in refereeing, the only question that remains is whether or not Collina would like to reprise his former role out on the pitch. "I still dream about refereeing matches," he said. "But I have to accept that that time and that chapter of my life are over. Having said that, I love being involved in the game in this way now. I'm always there if help is needed. The referees can count on me." And having stressed that final point, Collina returned his full attention to matters at hand out on the pitch.

"We are always looking to improve and we will work hard to be as prepared as we possibly can for the World Cup", said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, in an address to 36 of the world's best referees and potential World Cup officials in Abu Dhabi.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is the venue for a five-day seminar, set to end on 30 November, which represents an important milestone on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia for the participants. Massimo Busacca, Head of FIFA's Refereeing Department, emphasised the significance of the conference: "Just as it is for football teams, it's important for referees to meet up regularly to prepare for a major tournament in order to develop a collective philosophy." Key topics on the course include consistency and uniformity; the ability to read the game from technical and tactical points of view, as well as understanding different mentalities of players and teams.

Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana, one of the most experienced officials participating, explained further: "There are always three teams on the pitch: team A, team B and the refereeing team. The sessions will be intensive in the coming weeks, and everyone will give their all and exploit their potential in order to increase their chances of actually being at the World Cup next year".

The referees, including representatives from every confederation, are divided into small groups and have theory classes in seminar rooms in which they discuss videos with diverse match situations, as well as practical sessions on football pitches. In these latter exercises, players and referees gather together to simulate in-game events. The officials receive immediate feedback regarding their reading of the game, positioning, viewing angle and decisions. The work of and with Video Assistant Referees is also addressed. Nevertheless, Collina underlined that, "The referee is always in charge of what happens on the pitch." The FIFA Referees Committee will decide on the final list of officials to participate at Russia 2018 after this seminar and following the conclusion of the FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held from 6-16 December 2017 in the United Arab Emirates. The list is scheduled to be announced in January 2018.

With English referees absent from the World Cup for the first time since 1938, Mark Clattenburg predicts that void will be filled in 2022. Clattenburg quit the Premier League last season to work on referee education for Saudi Arabia’s Football Association. After officiating the finals of the European Championship, Champions League and Football Association Cup in 2016, had he remained in England he almost certainly would have been on the list for next year’s World Cup in Russia, when he will be 43. Following Clattenburg’s retirement from the EPL, FIFA decided not to take Martin Atkinson, who turns 47 before the tournament starts in June. Anthony Taylor (39) and Michael Oliver (32) are viewed as the top English candidates of the next generation.

“It’s sad because we had Howard Webb, then myself. And it’s sad that we had no progression,” Clattenburg said Saturday during his first weekend as a commentator for NBC Sports. “Martin’s too old. You have an age restriction, and they were never going to take him because he had too many extensions. Michael Oliver will be the next. We’ll have Anthony Taylor. They’re the next level of referees, but they’re not at the top level in UEFA. I was on the elite referee panel in UEFA maybe three, four years before I was given the chance of big matches. So they need the experience. I’m sure they’ll be given the experience over the next one or two years.” FIFA decided in December 2014 to abolish a rule that dropped referees from the sport’s international list at the end of the year of their 45th birthday. That was replaced by a mandate for careful evaluation once they reach that age.

Clattenburg lives in Riyadh now and his family remains in England, where he also broadcasts for BT Sports. He celebrated his big 2016 by getting tattoos on his arms of the logos of the Euro and Champions League finals. He is looking forward to an expansion of Video Assistant Referees, which may be used in next year’s World Cup. Major League Soccer and Germany’s Bundesliga are among the leagues experimenting with VAR. “I see many problems in all the leagues — United States, Germany, Holland, Australia — because many people are trying to use it too much,” he said. “We don’t want to stop the flow of the game, but we want to stop the scandal, the bad decision where everybody in football goes: That’s a dive. That’s a penalty.” He cited the decision by Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan to call a handball of Northern Ireland’s Corry Evans, which led to a Switzerland goal in a World Cup playoff this month. Hategan was not among the 36 referees announced Nov. 18 for a pre-World Cup seminar, a list that included 10 from Europe and two from the United States: Mark Geiger and Jair Murrufo. “We want video where, for example the Northern Ireland - Switzerland game, where it was clearly not a handball,” Clattenburg said. “This is the one we want to change. And I think all referees in the world want to have it. Why? Because they don’t want to be criticized for making a bad error.” Clattenburg maintains officials’ errors have not increased. They just get noticed more. “The game has got quicker,” he said. “People say referees are getting worse. It’s not. All that happens is we have more cameras, and it highlights the mistakes.” He attended NBC’s first Premier League Fan Fest at the South Street Seaport, where the network broadcast its studio show Saturday. He plans to return to NBC every few months. “I want to give people an insight into what referees think, how they act,” he said. “Now I’m free to do media work. When you’re in the Premier League, you’re not allowed to speak, and now it’s nice that I can pass on my experiences, pass on my knowledge.”

Rohit Saggi and Kristoffer Hagenes are the new FIFA referees from Norway, replacing Martin Lundby and Svein Erik Edvartsen. Lundby wants to prioritize his business career, since he is regarded as one of the biggest management talents in Norway and is currently an executive at one of Norway's largest companies. Edvartsen had a conflict with the NFF Head of Refereeing, Terje Hauge, then he was accused of writing e-mails to other referees about this issue under a fictive name. Consequently, he was fired and has not handled an Eliteserien game since 6 November 2016. Edvartsen has sued the federation, demanding to be reinstated both in his civil occupation as an executive at the NFF office and as a referee. He has also sued the director of public relations at NFF (his colleague) for making defamatory statements.

Firstly, Edvartsen had a conflict with Hauge, which was resolved, but shortly after that several referees went out in the media, one assistant even crying on TV, claiming Edvartsen had been harassing them both in person and on WhatsApp. Most of the referees went out and said they would not referee anymore if Edvartsen was reinstated. He was then suspended again, with an agreement that he would be back in 2018. He was also paid to make up for expenses lost for not refereeing. Then, about 40 e-mails emerged, all sent under a fake name to NFF and Norwegian media, that praised Edvartsen, while criticising and making accusations about Terje Hauge and other referees. Edvartsen was then dismissed from his civil job at NFF and immediately sued them to get his job back. It does not help that Edvartsen has a lawyer who is regarded as Norway's best and also is his best friend. The tone has been extremely confrontational. Edvartsen has the support of several disgruntled referees, including Moen’s former AR Andas, who actively support him. However, nobody has come out and claimed to have sent the e-mails in question, while a lot points towards Edvartsen at least having sent some of them (IP address has been pinged to the area around his house). The case will come before the Oslo City Court at the beginning of 2018, and it will be a high-profile case with massive media coverage. Source: Law 5 - The Referee

FIFA has selected 36 match officials (referees and support referees) for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They will attend a preparatory seminar on 25-29 November 2017. The final list with specific roles will be announced once IFAB officially approves the use of video assistant referees (VARs) at the World Cup.

Qatar, hosts of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, has been named to stage four key referee workshops early next year, it has emerged. Hany Ballan Safar, the Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said the four courses will be attended by dozens of officials from around the world in late January and for most part of February. Ballan, who is also the Chairman of the Qatar Football Federation’s (QFA) Referees Committee, was talking to media along with Naji Al Juwaini, Executive Director of the Referees Department. Ballan (photo) said: “FIFA’s choice of Qatar for such a number of sessions clearly reflects FIFA’s confidence in Qatar and the strong relationship between them, especially with respect to the development of referees worldwide.”

The first workshop will be held from January 30 to February 2 with attendance of more than 100 officials.

The second workshop will be held with 37 referees featuring in it from February 5 to 9. The second session will see FIFA announcing the final list of referees and video officials who will take charge of 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.

The third round of courses - February 12 to 16 - will see the attendance of female referees (80 in total) who will managed matches at the 2019 Women’s World Cup to be held in France.

Ballan said the fourth workshop will be held from February 19 to 22 that will bring together more than 100 instructors.

“World governing body FIFA will bear all financial costs in all respects of the said courses,” Ballan informed. “The role of the QFA is to provide logistical support,” he said. Al Juwaini said that it is the first time in the history of FIFA that a single host country has been accorded four workshops within such a short span of time. “This is a moment of pride for QFA as we continue to develop referees in the country and around the region as well as the Asian continent,” Al Juwaini said. “However, I would like to add that it won’t be the first time that Qatar will be hosting FIFA referees refresher courses or workshops. QFA’s relationship with FIFA on how to develop the field of refereeing started long back. Qatar hosted training courses for the referees of the 2014 FIFA World Cup that was held in Brazil,” he said. “We are honoured that FIFA has entrusted QFA with such important meetings. QFA will ensure that everything runs smoothly,” Al Juwaini said. “From our side, QFA have completed all preparations as we look forward to hosting four key meetings set to be attended by dozens of participants,” he said. He pointed out that the Qatari referees will benefit from the training sessions as attending such meetings give insight to the fast-developing world of refereeing,” he said. Al Juwaini thanked QFA President HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani for his ‘great support to the referees committee which was one of the reasons why Qatar is set to host these courses. I would also like to thank the Qatar Sports Club, which will host the training of participants in the courses, as well as the ASPETAR and the Aspire Academy,” Al Juwaini said.

The Chairman of the Technical Committee of Spanish referees, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio (photo), spoke to "El Partidazo" of the COPE Network and analyzed the future implementation of the VAR, the referee controversies and defended the innocence of former president Villar.

Angel María Villar

"I find him perfectly, he is very well and very strong, and the judges will be the ones who have to decide, what I do not understand is that people judge in advance, without knowing what is there. The treatment that he has received has not been fair, there are other people who have done much more, if he has done something, and yet the treatment they have received has been better, I believe that he has not done anything, nothing at all, to put him in jail."

Respect for referees

"The only thing we ask for is respect, and yet, on some occasions, we do not receive the respect we need, especially when it surpasses the sport."

Relationship with Real Madrid

"The same relationship as with any other club, exactly the same, we have no relationship with the clubs, our relationship is summarized to do the best we can on the field of play. Do we have things to improve? Of course, as in any facet of life, and that is why we are working, and that is why tomorrow we will talk about the things that have been done right or wrong since we met in Santander until now, it is very nice to say that we need to improve, but tell us what. Do I have to go looking for referees from another galaxy? We cannot do more than what we are doing. We have some great referees in Spain, and it is not that I say it because I am the President. Everyone who knows and likes football has seen the evolution that has occurred in the refereeing of our country."

Mateu Lahoz

"It seems that yes, he will go to the World Cup, since they are giving him important matches; but not only him, but all the international referees we have are going out a lot and that is good for the Spanish refereeing. Mateu did not have an easy match; there were some things that I liked and some that I did not, but I will tell him, not publicly. When we meet I'll talk to him and tell him what I liked and what I did not."

The arrival of the VAR

"It will arrive in Spain as it has arrived in other countries and we will start working with VAR. It seems that the idea is to start in the next season, we have to do some tests from here to the start of the new season; I guess it will not take long. We have enough time to correct the mistakes we're seeing in other countries, that's going to be good, and then we'll see what happens in the World Cup, it will be a good showcase to copy what works. The VAR is not going to fix the problems; it will solve the question of whether a goal has been scored or not, if the ball has been out of play or if an offence has been inside the penalty area or outside, but there are decisions of the referee himself and he will have to decide.”

Alleged persecution of Madrid

"The problem here is not that the dog bites the man, but that the man bites the dog. I have nothing against Real Madrid or any club, nothing. I do not have a box with the points that some say that are missing".

Europe’s futsal referees have taken their latest step on the road to UEFA Futsal Euro 2018 with a preparation workshop in the host country Slovenia. Some thirty referees came to Ljubljana for three days of fitness assessments, practical and theoretical training. UEFA will now select 18 of them – 16 referees and two reserves – as the team of match officials for the tournament at the Arena Stožice in the Slovenian capital from 30 January to 10 February next year.

“We have brought the referees together to give them instructions on uniform consistency in decision-making, and to test their fitness,” said UEFA futsal refereeing instructor Pedro Galán Nieto. “They have taken the FIFA test, and must pass it to be eligible for the Euro.” The training sessions in Slovenia concentrated on the various strengths need by futsal referees to take charge of matches at the highest level. “We looked at speed and agility,” Galán Nieto explained, “because the way that futsal is played requires these two attributes from a referee. You need speed to keep up with play, and agility because you have to change direction a lot of times. The fitness aspect is crucial. Futsal teams at elite level train regularly – so the referees have to be able to match this fitness. We are encouraging UEFA’s national associations to create fitness programmes for their futsal referees.” Referees’ preparation for the Euro will also include studying team tactics and player characteristics – an element that UEFA considers crucial in helping referees get ready for their assignments. “It’s essential – if you can anticipate and understand, this will help you run the game and take decisions,” said Galán Nieto. A key instruction given to the referees who will go to the Euro is to safeguard futsal’s image. “We are asking the referees to protect the players,” said Galán Nieto, “because in doing so, we are protecting the game.” Futsal uses the two-referee system, and teamwork between the match officials is seen as vitally important. “To achieve consistency, futsal referees need to be able to communicate, to be able to align themselves when taking decisions,” Galán Nieto reflected.

UEFA has recently taken a series of strategy decisions to enhance futsal’s profile – these include the Futsal Euro moving to 16 teams and taking place every four years from 2022, a new Women’s Futsal Euro from 2019, the renaming of the main European club competition as the UEFA Futsal Champions League from 2018/19, and the introduction of a European Under-19 championship in 2019. “These are exciting times for everyone in futsal,” said Galán Nieto. “The UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin is a futsal man, he supports our sport, and the new strategy will hopefully help us to recruit more referees to futsal – especially women. The new competitions in particular will provide an incentive for people to become futsal referees”.

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has criticised referee Eric Otogo-Castane of Gabon for awarding a late controversial penalty to Algeria in the 1-1 draw against Nigeria in the last game 2018 World. The visitors were forced to a draw when Yacine Brahaimi converted a late penalty which cancelled out John Ogu’s 62nd minute goal for Nigeria.

CAF has criticised the incident that led to the penalty in their match report of the game, posted on cafonline.com,‎ ‎describing the referee’s decision as harsh. CAF noted that “Algeria Convert Soft Penalty To Hold Nigeria.” CAF insisted that Shehu Abdullahi who was adjudged to have fouled Brahaimi in the box didn’t foul the forward. “Yacine Brahimi won and converted a harshly-awarded late penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw for Algeria against already-qualified Nigeria Friday in a World Cup Africa zone Group B dead-rubber.“The Gabonese referee ruled that Abdullahi Shehu fouled Brahimi as he moved into the box in Constantine, but big-screen replays suggested otherwise”, reads the piece on cafonline.com‎

The road to possible participation at UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 has begun for a group of young European female referees, who have been in Nyon for a course designed to give them crucial help as they move along their career path. Twenty-one first and second-category match officials from 19 European national associations were present at the course. The referees, from all four corners of the continent, took part in instruction sessions focussing on issues such as positioning, reading the game, handball, match management and penalty-area incidents, and were given briefings on the qualities needed if they are to succeed at the highest levels.

“Following this year’s Women’s EURO in the Netherlands, we have now begun focussing on the four-year cycle until the next Women’s EURO,” said UEFA refereeing officer Dagmar Damková. “We think that the referees that we brought to Nyon have potential, and we want to show them the way forward, because we believe that they can achieve something. So the idea is to prepare them for a time when they may become elite referees.” The young referees also tested their fitness levels – a crucial attribute as women’s football increases rapidly in technical, tactical and fitness terms. “One day, if they join the elite group,” Damková explained, “the referees will go on UEFA’s summer and winter courses, and will have to pass fitness tests – so we have been guiding and advising them in what to expect in this regard.” The referees have taking charge of domestic and UEFA matches, including games in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and some have also already taken part in the UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) programme that trains up-and-coming match officials for future assignments. The Nyon course reflected UEFA’s commitment to nurturing female referees in all categories as part of a comprehensive overall development strategy. “It’s a positive factor that we are constantly enhancing development work with women officials,” said Damková, “to include not only the elite levels, but also promising referees in other categories. We’re want the young referees to grab this chance. We have four years before the EURO in 2021 to monitor them and train them to be part of the next top-level generation”.

Dramatic scenes were seen in a Round of 16 game of the Croatian Football Cup in Vinkovci. Referee Bruno Maric had to help 20-year-old home-born Zvonimir Filipovic, who almost passed away after a challenge.

For a while, the player was still on the ground until Marić approached him and pulled his tongue out of his mouth, so that he would not suffocate. The player has even bitten him, but soon he came to consciousness, got up and left the field.